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Democrat's camp says tax figure in Bush ad 'completely made up'
Turning negative only a week into his television ad campaign, President Bush is launching a new blitz of commercials, accusing his Democratic rival of waffling on national security and wanting to raise taxes by $900 billion. "John Kerry: Wrong on taxes. Wrong on defense," an announcer declares in one of two new Bush spots. In the other, the president says Americans "face a choice" on the economy, education, health care and the war on terrorism. "We can go forward with confidence, resolve and hope," he says. "Or we can turn back to the dangerous illusion that terrorists are not plotting and outlaw regimes are no threat."
Tipped to the new ads, Mr. Kerry shot back even before the Bush campaign could formally preview them for reporters Thursday. The Kerry camp charged later that the $900 billion tax number was "completely made up."
<snip>
In a lengthy statement buttressing the ads, the Bush campaign cited various reports that Mr. Kerry's health care plan would cost $900 billion over 10 years, that he would weaken the Patriot Act and that he wanted to delay military action against Iraq until the United Nations Security Council approved. "We're talking about contrasting visions," said Mark McKinnon, the Austin political consultant who directs the Bush advertising team. "Ours is an optimistic vision for the country, and Kerry has a very negative vision for the country – angry pessimism."
In its own lengthy rebuttal statement, the Kerry campaign charged that Mr. Bush was suffering a "credibility problem" and that he had taken Mr. Kerry's health care proposal out of context. "John Kerry will cut, not increase taxes on middle-class families," the statement said, accusing Mr. Bush of "running a campaign of deception and distortion."
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/031204dnpolnegativeads.67ac5.html
The Kerry press release:
George Bush's Credibility Problem: The Truth Behind His Attack Ad
March 11, 2004
For Immediate Release
The Bush Cheney Campaign uses Weapons of Deception and Distortion because they can’t have an honest debate about jobs and taxes.
The $900 billion ad is completely false. If the Bush wants to have a real debate about John Kerry’s plan to give the middle class tax relief and roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans to invest in health care and education, John Kerry says Bring It On.
In fact, George Bush needs to answer questions about his own tax increase: THE BUSH TAX
BUSH ATTACK: “A president sets his agenda for America in the first 100 days. John Kerry's plan: To pay for new government spending, raise taxes by at least $900 billion.”
FACT: John Kerry will cut; not increase taxes on middle class families
The ad takes Kerry’s statement out of context.
In fact, John Kerry said:
“In my first hundred days in the White House, I will roll back George Bush’s tax cut for the wealthiest so that we can invest in education and health care.”
What a difference three little dots make!
Here's what is clear: the new Bush ad is designed to deceive the 98 percent of Americans who will only get ADDITIONAL tax cuts and health savings from John Kerry. The $900 billion number in the Bush ad is completely made up and shows that George Bush is running a campaign of deception and distortion.
While George Bush turns a blind eye to the spiraling health care costs facing the American people, John Kerry has proposed a plan to make health care more affordable and available for all American families. One third of the cost of this plan is a TAX CUT, nearly another third is straight relief from the cost of health care up to $1,000 per family, and the final third spends resources on those that need help most – such as our children.
Even when it was not always popular in the Democratic primaries, John Kerry made it clear that he supported maintaining hundreds of billions of tax cuts for working families making under $200,000. This ad is completely designed to deceive Americans.
FACT: John Kerry supports tax cuts for middle class families.
His only revenue increases are to close corporate loopholes and to simply repeal new tax cuts that go only to people making more than $200,000.
MARGARET WARNER: Now the president's tax cut, at least on paper, the two of them add up to $1.6 (billion). Surely, you'll have to roll back the tax cuts for more than just the wealthiest.
SEN. JOHN KERRY: For the wealthiest.
MARGARET WARNER: But only the wealthy?
SEN. JOHN KERRY: Yes, it works for the wealthy and the inheritance tax. Those are the two areas where it's inexcusable for us to cut. I don't want to roll back the marriage penalty, I don't wrap to roll back the child-care credit, I don't want to punish people who got a $300 break at the 10 percent and 15 percent, so I don't take that back. But I think at the upper-income level, if Warren Buffet can tell America that he just got a bonanza of a billion dollars where he gets $365 million free, and he thinks it's more important to give $1,000 to every family, I think that's pretty good thinking. And I think that's the choice we ought to give America.
FACT: John Kerry has a plan to expand coverage and lower health care costs that will provide relief to millions of families.
Everything in the Bush ad is designed to deceive Americans about those basic facts. John Kerry welcomes an honest straight forward debate on whether recent tax cuts for Americans making $200,000 should be rolled back so we can invest in health care and restore fiscal discipline. If they want to have that debate, we say bring it on.
FACT: THE BUSH TAX: George Bush’s failed policies have forced middle class families to pay more in taxes
George W. Bush likes to talk about tax cuts. But the truth is since George W. Bush took office, families have been taxed far more than ever before –they are paying higher college tuition higher health care costs, and higher prices for gasoline – and they are receiving lower incomes. They are also paying more in state, local, and property taxes.
* Income Decrease: $1,462.
Under President Clinton, family income increased $7,202 from 1992 to 2000. Under President Bush family income has declined $1,462 from 2000 to 2002.
* Tuition Increase: $1,032.
Nationally, four-year public college tuition and fees increased by an average of $1,032 since Bush took office, a 28 percent increase, the highest three-year increase on record.
* Health Increase: $793.
Health care costs have increased by an average of $793 since Bush took office, a stunning 49 percent increase.
* Gas Increase: $245.
The average U.S. household has seen an increase of $245 annually in gasoline prices and an average household with children has seen an increase of $289 in gasoline prices since Bush came into office.
* State and Local Tax Increases.
Since the beginning of the Bush administration 32 states have been forced to raise taxes and fees by a total of $16.2 billion. At the local level, county and city governments have been raising taxes as well. In 2002, property tax collections were rising more than 10 percent.
BUSH TAX: AT LEAST $3,532
BUSH ATTACK: “On the war on terror: Weaken the Patriot Act used to arrest terrorists and protect America. And he wanted to delay defending American until the United Nations approved. John Kerry: Wrong on taxes. Wrong on defense."
FACT: You can sum up the problems with the Patriot Act in two words: John Ashcroft.
* John Kerry stands by his vote for the Patriot Act. In fact, he authored most of the money laundering provisions in the law. He even wants to strengthen some aspects of it relating to terrorism, such as improving intelligence information sharing.
* Kerry also supported a “sunset clause” in the law to see if it strikes the right balance between security and civil liberties. There are some places – such as such as unlimited ‘sneak and peek’ searches where Kerry believes we need stricter oversight and protections against invasions of privacy.
* But, the real problem with the Patriot Act is not the law, but the abuse of the law. John Ashcroft has used police powers in secret ways and for political purposes - authorized his agents to monitor church meetings and political rallies without any cause and without the need to get approval. Thirteen FAA employees and a high-tech Homeland Security tracking system were used to help Tom Delay track down Texas State Legislators who were resisting his plan to give Republicans more seats in Congress.
* Reforming the Patriot Act. The spirit of the law has been abused by the Ashcroft Justice Department, which has taken every opportunity to limit freedom and civil liberties. Given these abuses, John Kerry believes it is necessary to scale back several provisions in the Patriot Act and introduce a new law to assure our enhanced security does not come at the expense of our civil liberties, such as more oversight of sneak and peak searches.
http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0311c.html
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